The present invention relates in general to a wire feeder driving mechanism for a spring manufacturing machine, and more particularly, to a mechanism which enables a spring manufacturing machine to simplify the actuating mechanism of its tool seat and thereby significantly cuts down the labor hours consumed for adjustment of the tool set of the spring manufacturing machine. The present invention enhances the easiness and the convenience of the operation of the spring manufacturing machine.
Because springs are widely utilized in the shock absorbing or shock reducing, such as for automobiles, toys, electric appliances, switches, medical utilities, and so on, they have become an indispensable part of electric or mechanical equipments. The demand of spring shape becomes more and more versatile; it is therefore cannot be satisfied by a conventional spring manufacturing machine. Accordingly, to develop a next generation product to satisfy the strong demand of the market is an important issue for persons skilled in the spring manufacturing machine.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional spring manufacturing machine includes a machine base 10a and a work table 20a. The machine base 10a is secured thereon a wire feeder 11a which has a wire feeding chuck 12a at the front end thereof. The feeding chuck 12a is able to output the metal wire which will be formed into a spring. The work table 20a has a feeder hole 21a formed in the middle thereof which is able to receive the feeding chuck 12a. A plurality of tool seats 22a are installed on the work table 20a. Each tool seat 22a includes a driving rod 221a, a rail cam 222a, and a tool set 223a. By utilizing the driving rod 221a and the rail cam 222a, the tool set 223a is able to perform a linear or a curve motion for bending, winding, or cutting process of the metal wire.
However, the conventional spring manufacturing machine has several radical problems. First, to reduce the manufacturing cost a spring manufacturing machine is utilized to manufacture different kind of springs. To change the manufacturing process the tool seats 22a secured on the work table 20a need to be accordingly replaced and adjusted. The replacement and adjustment of the tool seats 22a are so time consuming that the production efficiency and economic benefit are very low. Second, a small deviation of the material quality, the heat treating process, or the wire diameter of the metal raw material will greatly influence the nature of the spring formed. Only a professional engineer is able to perform the adjustment and calibration of the conventional spring manufacturing machine. It is, therefore, hard to control the spring product's quality. Third, to perform a curve motion of the tool set 223a it is conventional to further install a complicated or adjustable driving member. This auxiliary driving member not only raises the material and manufacture cost but also increases the difficulty of assembling and maintenance. Fourth, when various manufacture industries' demand for spring configuration becomes more and more complicated, the tool seats 22a installed on the work table 20a for convention are not sufficient. It is unable to satisfy modern manufacture industries' demand.